Machine for washing vials



March 5, 1957 c. HAGEDORN MACHINE FOR WASHING vms 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledApril 7, 1953 v INVENTOR. HFIN5(HRl5TrflNHHGEDO/EN,

ATTORNEYS.

March 5, 1957 2,783,765

H. C. HAGEDORN MACHINE FOR WASHING VIALS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April'7. 1953 INVENTOR. HR N5 Cumsnmv Hflasoanu,

HTTORNEYS.

March 5, 1957 H. C. HAGEDORN MACHINE FOR WASHING VIALS Filed April 7,195:

4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. HfiwsfumsnmvHneEpoau, m

' BY 1 T N HTTORNEYS.

March 5, 1957 H. c. HAGEDORN 2,783,765

MACHINE FOR WASHING vms Filed April 7, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 FTTOENEYS.

United States Patent 2,783,765 MACHINE FoR WASHING VIALS Hans ChristianHagedorn, Gentofte, Denmark, assignor to Nordisk Insulinlahoratorium,Gentofte, Denmark, a corporation of Denmark Application April 7, 1953,Serial No. 347,247

Claims priority, application Denmark April 9, 1952 15 Claims. (Cl.134-72) The process disclosed (but not claimed) in this appli cation,and used in the operation of that machine, is the subject-matter of mycopending application Serial No. 515,189, filed June 2, 1955, forProcess for Washing Vials; which application was filed as a division ofthe present application, in response to a requirement for division bythe Patent Office.

My invention relates to a machine for washing vials.

Automatic machinery for the washing of bottles and vials is extensivelyused. Where a specially careful cleansing is desired, as for examplewhen cleansing vials for medicinals to be injected into the human body,two or more different Washing and rinsing liquids have sometimes beenused successively; as by first rinsing with an alkaline solution, thenwith water, then with a dilute acid, and then again once or twice withwater, generally at least once with distilled water. 1

One convenient and well-known way of obtaining these successive rinsingsis to place the vial upside down over a liquid-discharging nozzle. Thisnozzle is then connected successively with supplies of the differentrinsing liquids. While such a system is quite effective, it has a numberof disadvantages; among which are the large quantities required of thediflierent liquids, and the complicated system of piping and valvingrequired, all kept under suitable pressure.

It is the object of my invention to obtain cleansing of the vials moreefiiciently and more simply, and to eliminate or lessen disadvantages ofprevious systems.

More specifically, it is the object of my invention to reduce thequantities of liquids used, to simplify the fluid connections, toeliminate largely or wholly the need for valves, to reduce the mixing ofdifferent liquids with one another in the vials, and to increase theefilciency of the cleansing.

In carrying out these objects, I use injectors, instead ofliquid-discharging nozzles. The vials to be cleansed are placed upsidedown on upwardly-discharging injectors, from which a suitable gas, suchas air, is discharged under pressure into the upside-down vials. Theinjectors pass successively over any desired number of openliquid-containers, and have suction hoses which in turn dip into thosecontainers successively in such passage, to draw in succession theliquids from the several containers and discharge such liquidsseparately from one another as fine sprays mixed with the moving airwhich lifts the liquids. This discharge of the liquids is in mists,consisting of minute droplets, by the action of compressed air; and thedroplets move rapidly over the insides of the vials, to

form a thin film which is kept moving rapidly by the air and which isconstantly and rapidly renewed. Desirably there are spaces betweenadjacent liquid-containers, and as the hoses pass through those spacesthe injector action draws in air instead of liquid and thus empties theinjectors of liquid between successive liquid supplyings.

;- Experiments'have shown that'in this way an effective rinsingand-cleansing is obtained, with much less consumption of liquid thanwhen such liquid is discharged Tice into the vials as continuous jets asin ordinary nozzles. By having the open containers, into which thesuction hoses of the injectors dip successively, the elaborate pipingand valving required in earlier systems is made unnecessary.

The injectors may travel over the successive liquidcontainers in anydesired manner, either constantly or intermittently. It moved with aconstant speed the amounts of the several liquids supplied can becontrolled by the widths of the several liquid containers. But-in thepreferred apparatus shown they are moved intermittently, and remain atrest for a while over each liquid container.

The injectors may be mounted in any convenient manner for travel overthe containers, one desirable way being by mounting them on belts orchains.

comparatively low pressures may be used for the lifting air or othergas. For instance, in cleansing 10 cc. vials, the air pressureordinarily need not be more than two meters of water.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention:

Fig. l is a diagrammatic view, showing one injector moving over aplurality of liquid-containing tanks;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged central longitudinal section through one of theinjectors, with its mounting on an air-supplying carrier;

Pig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section, on the line 3-3 of Fig. 4,through a multi-injector Vial-washing machine having severalair-supplying carriers mounted on endless belts or chains and eachcarrying a plurality of injectors, and also having automaticvial-supplying and vial-discharging mechanisms;

Fig. 4 is a plan, in partial section, of the vial-washing machine ofFig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged section, on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4, of themechanism for intermittently operating the injectorcarrying chains;

Fig. 7 is a vertical section, on the line 7-7 of Figs. 3 and 4, of themechanism for intermittently operating the vial-supplying belts; and

Fig. 8 is a vertical section, on the line 8-8'ot Fig. 4, of themechanism for positioning an air-supplying injector-carrier invial-receiving position.

There are a number of injector-carriers 1-22 are shown-each shaped as anair (or other suitable gas) pipe for supplying air to the injectorscarried by it. Each injector-carrier 1 carries any desired number ofinjectors- 5 are shown. Each injector has an outer air-pipe 2, receivingair from the air-pipe in its injector-carrier 1, and an inner liquidpipe 3 within and spaced from the air pipe 2 in the usual manner ofinjectors, to leave an annular air-passage between the two pipes; as isclear from Figs. 1 and 2. The liquid pipe 3 projects through theinjector-carrier 1, and at its intake end is provided with a trailingrubber tube or hose 4.

The machine has a number of liquid-containers 5, omitted from Fig. 4 toshow the parts below them. There are any desired'nurnber of theseliquid-containers-three are shown in diagrammatic Fig. l, and six areshown in the machine of Fig. 3. These liquid-containers 5 are forthe'rinsing liquids to be used, such for instance as an air is supplied,desirably continuously, to each injectorcarrier 1 as it travels insuccession over the various liquidrcontainersi, which may be ordinarylong trays. As each injector-carrier moves, in the direction of thearrow in Figs. 1 and 3, the hoses 4 depending from the injector itcarriesdip successively into the several trays 5, by a trailing action,and are clear of those trays as each hosepasses from one tray to thenext across the intervening space 6. While a hose 4 is dipping into atray 5, the injector lifts the liquid from that tray and discharges itupward into a vial V placed upside down upon the injector, as is clearfrom Fig. 3. When in the movement of the injector-carrier a hose passesout of one tray 5 to the space 6 between that tray and the next, thesupply of liquid from the first tray is cut oil, and the injector actsto draw in air from the space 6 and thus to empty the injector of anyliquid remaining in it, and in large measure to blow adhering liquid outof the superposed vial. Thus when the hose 4 enters the next tray 5' itsassociated injector begins to draw up liquid from that tray anddischarge it into the vial as a fine air-liquid mist with little or nocontamination from liquid in the preceding tray. This is continued forthe several liquids used, until mists of liquids from all the trays havebeen supplied successively to the vials V.

The injector-carriers 1, in the machine of Figs. 3 to 8 inclusive, aremounted on two endless carrying chains '7, mounted on sprockets 8 and 9.The two sprockets 8 are the chain-driving sprockets, and are fixed to anintermittently operated chain-driving shaft 10; while the two sprockets9 are idler sprockets running on a shaft desirably provided with chaintighteners. The shaft 16 is intermittently operated by a pawl 12co-operating with a ratchet-wheel 13 (Fig. 6) connected by gears 14 and15 to the chain-driving shaft 10. The pawl 12 is mounted on a swingingpawl-arm 16, connected by a link 17 to an oscillating arm 18spring-pressed rightward by a spring 18 and having a roller 19 movableleftward by an eccentric 20 mounted on the main operating shaft 42;which is driven in any convenient manner, as through the worm gearingshown, from a suitable source of power. As the main shaft 42 turns, ineach revolution the eccentric 20 pushes the arms 18 and 16 to the leftagainst the spring 18 to turn the ratchet wheel 13 one step clockwise(Fig. 6), and alternately to permit such arms to be drawn to the rightby that spring.

Each step of the ratchet-wheel movement moves the chain 7 one stepforward in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 3. This shifts the severalinjector-carriers lying over the trays 5 forward from one tray to thenext; so that the hoses 4 connected with those carriers may each moveout of the tray they have been in to the adjacent space 6 to causeemptying of the injectors, and then into the next V tray to start. thesupplying to the associated injectors of the liquid in that next tray.

The vials V to be washed are supplied to the several injectors while thelatter are at-rest in horizontal position on their way upward around thesprocket 8 at the righthand end of the machine (Fig. 3). Eachinjector-carrier, as it reaches that position, with the injectors itcarries in horizontal position and facing to the right (Fig. 3), isstopped and temporarily held in that position by a pawl 21. This pawl isprovided with a rectangular pin which enters a slit in the adjacent endof the injector carrying it, and which thus holds that particularinjector-carrier stationary in a predetermined position with theinjectors it carries horizontal. The pawl 21 is spring-pressed tolocking position in engagement with the injector-carrier 1, as shown inFig. 8, but is movable out of that position by being attached to aswingable arm 22 which at its end has a roller 23 co-operating with aproperly located facecam 24 on the main shaft 42. The face-cam 24 is sopositioned and proportioned that it holds the pawl 21 away fromengagement with any injector-carrier 1 while by rubber tubes 25, one foreach injector-carrier. Each the eccentric 20 is moving the ratchet-wheel13, and

therethrough moving the injector-carriers forward from one position tothe next.

5 Compressed air is admitted to the injector-carriers 1 rubber tube 25is connected at one end to its associated injector-carrier at a nipple35 provided at the opposite end thereof from the end which co-operateswith the pawl 21. All the rubber tubes 25 at their other ends cooperatewith an air valve 26 (Figs. 4 and 5), having a gear 27 meshing with agear 28 fixed to the shaft on which the ratchet wheel 13 is mounted.Thus when the ratchet mechanism already described moves the ratchetwheel l3 it also moves the air valve 26 one step forward, in the properdirection to match the movement of the chains 7 and theinjector-carriers 1 mounted thereon. When there are 22injector-carriers, as in Fig. 3, one step forward of the air valve 26 isof a revolution. The compressed air is admitted continuously to thoseinjector-carriers which are in upright position, on the upper run of thechains 7 from the sprocket 8 to the sprocket 9; but is preferably cutoff from those injector-carriers during the lower run of the chain 7. Tothat end, the valve is made so that it only allows air to theinjector-carriers during and near their upper run. The compressed air,from any suitable source (Fig. 4), is supplied, under the control of amanual adjusting valve 29, through an axial passage in a fixedsupporting stud the end of which supports has fixed thereon, as by a nut32, a valve-plug 31, on which the hub of the valve 26 can rotate. Theaxial passageway in the stud 30 has a cross passage inside thevalve-plug 3i, communicating with a circumferential groove extending allaround the inside of that valve-plug, as is clear from Fig. 4; and thatinner circumferential groove is connected to a circumferentiallyextending slit 33 (Fig. 5) provided on the outside of the valve-plug 31and extending only part way around the circumference of thatvalve-plug-the upper part, about to of the circumference. The rotaryair-valve 26 has 22 radial holes (one for each rubber tube 25 or foreach injectorcarrier 1) and each of these radial holes receives airwhile it lies over and so communicates with the partly circumferentialslit 33, but receives no air at other times. Each radial holecommunicates With a nipple 34 projecting from one face of the air valve26 and carrying the other end of the rubber tube 25. Thus the rubbertubes 25 are flexible connections between the radial holes in the airvalve 26 and the respective injector-carriers 1, and change in shape toaccommodate the circular movements of the nipples 34 and theendless-chain movement of the nipples 35.

The air valve 26 moves intermittently on the valveplug 31; and is movedby the same ratchet mechanism and at the same times that theinjector-carriers are carried forward.

The trays or liquid containers 5, which may vary in number according tothe number of washing operations desired, are carried on a support 36;which is suitably supported, as by being fastened upon the supportingstud 30. Each tray is connected by means of a pipe 37 to a reservoir ofthe liquid to be used in that tray. If desired, standard constant-levelmechanism may be provided to maintain a constant liquid level in eachtray. Each injector starts sucking liquid from the tray as soon as itsassociated hose 4 enters that tray, and stops sucking liquid from thattray as soon as that rubber hose leaves it; and is instantly blown emptyduring the transport of its associated hose across the space 6 from onetray to the next.

The vials V to be washed are supplied to the injectors when the latterare in horizontal position at the right of the machine (Figs. 3, 4, and5); andare discharged into a suitable receiving chute at the left of themachine as the carriers pass slightly below the horizontal plane throughthe axis of the sprocketQ; as is clear from Fig. 3. V

To feed the vials V to the injectors, the vials are placed on theinjectors by a transport table. The vials gvsavat are led to theinjectors on the locked injector-carrier in receiving position by lyingon endless rubber strings 38, two for each row of vials being fed. Thereare as many such rows ofv vials being fed as there are injectors on aninjector-carrier-in this case so that there are five pairs of rubberstrings 38. These endless rubber strings are driven continuously in thedirection of the arrow (Fig. 3).; but carry the rows of vials forwardonly intermittently, sliding under such vials at other times. The vialsbeing fed are held against feeding movement with the rubber stringsduring the times the injectorcarriers are being moved from one positionto the next, but allowed to move sufficiently forward to feed vials onto the injectors While the injectors are at rest. The rubber strings runon driving rollers 41 and 42 and a free running roller 43; the roller 42being an extension of the main shaft of the machine. The rollers 41 and42 are connected by a chain and sprocket wheels 44 of equal size, sothat those two rollers move in the same direction at the same speed.Between those two rollers 41 and 42, and immediately under the vials Vabout to be fed on to the injectors in receiving position, is placed asupporting plate 45, against which such vials are pressed by brakelevers 46 when they are to be held against forward movement while theinjectorcarriers are moving. The brake levers 46 are mounted free on anaxle 47, and are formed in a shape (see Fig. 3) that "each has anoverhanging weight which presses its lower end against the vials anddesirably in front of shoulders on those vials. The axle 47 has alifting pin for each brake lever, for lifting that brake lever highenough to release the vial underneath and let that vial pass. Themovement of the axle 47 to lift the brake levers and release the vialsfor feeding is produced by a crank arm 48 fast on the axle 47 andprovided at its outer end with a roller 49 operated by an eccentric 50on the main operating shaft 42 to rock the axle 47 and the brakinglevers 46, and thus to permit the forward feeding of the bottles on tothe injectors in receiving position, when those injectors are being heldin that position by the pawl 21.

The machine is controlled by the three cams 20, 24, and 50of which thefirst and third are eccentrics and the second a face-cam, all fixed onthe main operating shaft 42. That main shaft 42 is driven from anysuitable source of power through a power-receiving pulley connected tothe main shaft 42 through a worm 52 and a power axle 53.

As many of the moving parts of the machine as possible are desirablyplaced inside a water-proof box, which may be of cast iron. The movingparts are led through tight bearings permitting the necessary rotatingor reciprocating movements. The injector system is desirably enclosed,with the lower part of the enclosure forming a drain-tray for catchingthe Washing liquids; which drain-tray is provided with a suitableoutlet, as to a sewer.

I claim as my invention:

1. A vial-washing machine, comprising a plurality of liquid-containingtrays,' an upwardly discharging injector for supporting a vial upsidedown upon it, which injector has a gas passage and a liquid passage, andmeans for causing the lower end of said liquid passage to dipsuccessively into said trays.

2. A vial-washing machine, comprising a plurality of liquid-containingtrays spaced apart, an upwardly discharging injector for supporting avial upside down upon it, which injector has a gas passage and a liquidpassage, and means for connecting the lower end of said liquid passagesuccessively to said trays, and intermediately to space betweensuccessive trays.

3. A vial-washing machine, comprising a. plurality of liquid-containingtrays, an upwardly discharging injec tor movable along the line of saidtrays and adapted to have a vial mounted on it in inverted position,saidihjector having a gas passage and a liquid passage, the lower end ofsaid injector being arranged to dip successively into different traysduring said injector movement. i

4. A vial-washing machine, comprising a plurality of liquid-containingtrays, a carrier provided with an upwardly discharging injector andmovable to carry said injector successively over the trays, saidinjector being adapted to have a. vial mounted on it in invertedposition and having a gas passage and a liquid passage, and a hoseconnected to the intake end of said liquid passage and arranged to dipsuccessively into said trays during the movement of the carrier.

5. A vial-washing machine, comprising a plurality of liquid-containingtrays, a carrier provided with an upwardly discharging injector andmovable to carry said injector successively over the trays, saidinjector being adapted to have a vial mounted on it in inverted positionand having a gas passage and a liquid passage, and a hose connected tothe intake end of said liquid passage and arranged to dip successivelyinto said trays during the movement of the carrier, said trays beingspaced apart, and said hose being arranged to dip into the space betweentrays intermittently between itsdippings into successive trays.

6. A vial-washing machine, comprising a plurality of injector-carriers,each provided with a plurality of upwardly discharging injectors, aplurality of liquid containing trays, means for moving saidinjector-carriers along the line of trays, each injector being adaptedto have a vial mounted on it in inverted position and being providedwith a gas passage and a liquid passage and with a hose at the lower endof the liquid passage for dipping into the successive trays 'as itpasses over them.

7. A vial-washing machine, comprising a plurality of injector-carriers,each provided with a plurality of upwardly discharging injectors, aplurality of liquid-containing trays, means for moving saidinjector-carriers :along the line of trays, each injector being adaptedto have a vial mounted on it in inverted position and being providedwith .a gas passage and a liquid passage and with a hose at the lowerend of the liquid passage for dipping into the successive trays as itpasses over them, and a vial-feeding mechanism for placing vials on theseveral injectors as they approach the line of travel over the trays.

8. A vial-washing machine, comprising a movable carrier adapted tosupport a vial in draining position thereon for movement therewith, aninjector movable with said carrier in position to discharge into saidvial, a plurality of liquid-containing trays into which the receivingend of the liquid passage of said injector dips in diiferent positionsof said carrier, and means for supplying a gas to the gas passage ofsaid injector.

9. A vial-washing machine, comprising a movable carrier adapted tosupport a vial in draining position thereon for movement therewith, aninjector movable with said carrier in position to discharge into saidvial, a plurality of liquid-containing trays into which the receivingend of the liquid passage of said injector dips successively in themovement of the carrier, said trays being spaced apart so that in thecarrier movement the receiving end of said liquid passage dips into notray in part of the carrier movement, and means for supplying a gas tothe passage of said injector.

10. A vial-washing machine, comprising a movable carrier, means formoving said carrier step by step in a closed path, said carrier beingadapted to support a vial in draining position through part of thatclosed pat-h, an injector movable with said carrier in position todischarge into a vial supported by the carrier, said injector having atrailing flexible liquid-supply tube, a plurality of liquid-containingtrays into which said trailing liquids 7 supply tube dips at difierentsteps in the travel of said injector, and means for supplying a gasunder pressure to said injector. 1

11. A vial-washing machine, comprising a movable carrier, means formoving said carrier in a closed path, said carrier being adapted tosupport a vial in draining position through part of that closed path, aninjector movable with said carrier in position to discharge into a vialsupported by the carrier, said injector having a trailing flexibleliquid-supply tube, a plurality of liquid-containing trays into whichsaid trailing liquid-suppiy tube dips at difierent points in the travelof said injector, and means for supplying a gas under pressure to saidinjector.

12. A vial-washing machine, comprising a movable carrier, means formoving said carrier step by step in a closed path, said carrier beingadapted to support a vial in draining position through part of thatclosed path, means for supplying a vial to said carrier at apredetermined point in its movement, said carrier being arranged todischarge said vial at a later predetermined point in said movement, aninjector movable with said carrier in position to discharge into atvialsupported by the carrier, said injector having a trailing flexibleliquid-supply tube, a plurality of liquid-containing trays into whichsaid trailing liquidsupply tube dips at different steps in the travel ofsaid injector, and means for supplying a gas under pressure to saidinjector.

13. A vial-washing machine, comprising a movable carrier, means formoving said carrier in a closed path, said carrier being adapted tosupport a vial in draining position through part of that closed path,means for supplying a vial to said carrier at a predetermined point inits movement, said carrier being arranged to discharge said vial at alater predetermined point in said movement, an injector movable withsaid carrier in position to discharge into a vial supported by thecarrier, said injector having a trailing flexible liquid-supply tube, aplurality of liquid-containing trays into which said trailingliqud-supply tube dips at different points in the travel of saidinjector, and means for supplying a gas under pressure to said injector.

- 14. A vial-washing machine, comprising a movable carrier, means formoving said carrier step by step in a closed path, said carrier beingadapted to support a vial in draining position through part of thatclosed path, an injector movable with said carrier in position todischarge into a vial supported by the carrier, said injector having atrailing flexible liquid-supply tube, a plurality of liquid containingtrays into which said trailing liquid-supply tube dips at differentsteps in the travel of said injector, and means for supplying a gasunder pressure to said injector, a space being provided between two ofsaid liquid-containing trays so that when said trailing liquid-supplytube dips into said space between trays no liquid is supplied to saidinjector.

15. A vial-washing machine, comprising a movable carrier, means formoving said carrier in a closed path, said carrier being adapted tosupport a vial in draining position through part of that closed path, aninjector movable with said carrier in position to discharge into a vialsupported by the carrier, said injector having a trailing flexibleliquid-supply tube, a plurality of liquid-containing trays into whichsaid trailing liquid-supply tube dips at different points in the travelof said injector, and means for supplying a gas under pressure to saidinjector, a space being provided between two of said liquid-containingtrays so that when said trailing liquid-supply tube dips into said spacebetween trays no liquid is supplied to said injector.

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